Self-confessed tweeting fanatic, All Blacks winger Cory Jane, said on Monday
that he was suffering severe withdrawal pangs after the team management
imposed a Twitter ban until the end of the World Cup.

Hanging on in there: Cory Jane admits he is finding it hard to keep away from TwitterPhoto: REUTERS

“I’m battling," he admitted. "I’m checking it like every 10 minutes just to see what people are writing and what’s going on. It’s starting to hurt but rules are rules.

"The worst thing about it is when somebody writes something you just want to answer and let them know ... but we’re not allowed to.”

Jane’s tweeting has landed him in trouble with New Zealand in the past, notably when he revealed in 2009 he had not been selected for a Test against England 24 hours before the team was officially released.

Coach Graham Henry admitted then he did not know what Twitter was and “thought it was a new guy playing five-eighth [fly-half] for England”.

Wales manager Alan Phillips has hinted that Stephen Jones, who injured a calf muscle warming up against England over four weeks ago, is still struggling to be available for Sunday’s crunch opener against South Africa in Wellington.

Back five forward Ryan Jones has also been trying to overcome a calf injury and when asked on Monday which of the Jones boys was most likely to feature against the Sprinboks, he answered: “I would say Ryan at the moment.”